


The Devil's Fur is Red

by Niiro_Nero



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hell, Demons, Devils, F/M, Fallen Angels, Graphic Description, hell AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-06 07:34:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10329386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niiro_Nero/pseuds/Niiro_Nero
Summary: Summary – What comes after death had never been something Judy had given much thought: she was a rather open-minded individual, and just thought that whatever happens, happens. She was certain, however, that HER afterlife should have had a lot less fire…[Sadly Abandoned. Feel free to take.]





	1. There's Been a Mistake!

**Author's Note:**

> [Sadly Abandoned]

Judy had always thought she’d die as many rabbits had, at a ripe old age surrounded by friends and family. She’d accomplish her dream of being the first rabbit police officer in Zootopia, maybe even being the Chief of Precinct One, and marry a nice young buck and have a few dozen kits. Not the hundreds her parents had, but somewhere around thirty or forty. It’d be a bittersweet death, one full of sadness, but also filled with pride at all she’d managed to accomplish in her long life.

A good death. Just drifting off into sleep, painless and serene.

She never expected that she’d be crushed under the family tractor by one of her younger siblings, who had been too busy making flirty eyes with the neighbor’s daughter.

Now she knows what you’re thinking: how in God’s Green Earth did she, Judy Hopps, get caught under the wheels of the family tractor?! She’d been training since she was old enough to walk to be a police officer, it should have been no problem getting away. She certainly knew it was coming, with her hearing and how loud it was!

Well, you’re right. Under normal circumstances it would have been child’s play to get away from the massive piece of farm equipment. Key word being normal. Fate had its own way of messing with you, it seems.

You see, one of her younger siblings, Holly, had gotten stuck somehow, and ended up directly in the tractor’s path. As a future police officer in training, Judy couldn’t just let an innocent die, and so had charged in without thinking to save her sister. She heroically succeeded, only to be crushed a moment later.

At least it was in the line of duty, so to speak. She wondered if she’d get a badge or some sort of medal? Do civilians get medals? She could have sworn…

At any rate, medals aside, there she was. Dead as dead could be, no way back.

Now Judy wasn’t the most religious rabbit in the Tri-Burrows, but she did go to church every other Sunday with her parents, and she had read the bible pretty thoroughly, so she knew what good bucks and does could expect.

She’d sacrificed herself for her sister, and that was a damn saintly way to go, in her opinion. So, she’d consider herself a good doe.

She’d been expecting some Pearly Gates, maybe some fluffy white clouds, with a pleasant spring breeze, and the smell of carrots and fresh produce. Maybe she’d hear the singing of a church choir made up of angels and saints. She expected everything the local priest had promised Paradise would be.

She hadn’t been expecting a wall of fire, or clouds of black soot or unbearable, smoldering heat. Or the smells of burning fur and flesh. There wasn’t even a choir of angels and saints, singing songs of praise or worship: instead all she heard were screams of agony and choked begging.

Choir of the Damned, she recalled her Priest saying.

She fell to her knees from the sights around her, her stomach attempting to lose its contents, dry heaving and gagging. Nothing came up, leaving her choking and coughing.

Pools of fire, just as the preacher had said and The Book had listed, as far as the eye could see. Inside of them were the half-charred remains of mammals, predator and prey alike, screaming in agony but unable to die.

Red monstrosities pulled and tore at the screaming mammals with hooks and other sharp instruments, each one towering over even the tallest mammal. They looked like bison, but with wings she’d only seen on the covers of her brother’s fantasy novels, spaded tails, cloven hoofs, and eyes as black as night.

Demons, Judy thought, Actual demons?!

She struggled to breathe, hyperventilating, but each breath felt like fire poured into her lungs as the soot and ash burned their way down.

Hell! I’m in Hell! How?! Why?! She crawled backwards and prayed that none of the demons would notice her, that she’d escape whatever torment awaited her for sins she didn’t remember committing.

It was not to be.

“You, rabbit! Where do you think you’re going?!” A demon lumbered over to her shaking and gasping form, easily catching her as she moved to run.

“I-I’ve done nothing wrong! Why am I here?! Please!” Judy kicked and struggled with all her might, but the demon’s grip did not waver.

“Shut up!” The genderless being shook her roughly, “You’re coming with me!”

Judy could only sob as she was carried towards the endless pools of fire. Demons bared their uncountable, blood drenched fangs at her as they held their hooks and other instruments of torture, taunting her with the fate that awaited her. The burning husks of mammals, unable to die in their endless torment, reached their crumbling paws towards her, begging for her to save them.

She screamed, and clutched at the hand gripping her. Pleading, praying that something, anything, would save her.

And just as she’d given up hope, as she’d began to slip from sanity at the thought of the overwhelming torture awaiting her, and the sight of what she could become, a voice called out.

“No. She won’t be going with you,” the voice called. Smooth, casual, and deceptively friendly. Something about it brought the demon to a halt.

Judy could feel the demon shake as she had shaken, its black eyes wide with what she could have sworn was fear, if the demon could even feel it. Slowly, the towering construct of evil turned, her body still gripped in its quivering clutches.

“B-but My Lord!” The brute stammered, and Judy knew in that instant that it was indeed afraid.

And so was she.

“Not another word, or you’ll be the one thrown into the pits,” the voice hissed. Gone was the earlier casual tone. 

Out from behind black stone stepped a tiny (in comparison to the demon) fox. Its fur was blood red, and its eyes a burning yellow. Its fangs, a gleaming white, were bared in the demon’s direction.

“This is the last time I’ll say it,” the fox walked forwards, making the demon step back in fear, “She won’t be going with you.”

The fox’s yellow eyes snapped up to meet her own terrified amethyst, and he smiled a smug smile-just a curl of black lips.

“She’s mine.”

With a shaking nod Judy was released from the demon’s hold, who then proceeded to flee from the fox without looking back. Turning her gaze towards her new captor, Judy stared into those bright yellow eyes and realized just what- or rather who she was at the mercy of. With a shiver, she wrapped her arms around herself.

Grandpop was right, The Devil is a Fox.


	2. Judy's...Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy begins her journey through Hell.

Judy just stared at the red furred figure in front of her, too nervous to move or look away.

The fox wasn’t very intimidating-- not like the bison demon from earlier, or the other monstrosities that lurked around the pools of fire. It was taller than Judy, but not by a large margin, and thinner than she remembered Gideon Grey being in high school. Unlike the other “locals,” the fox at least wore something that covered its lower half, hinting towards some manner of civilized behavior.

It also meant that maybe the fox wasn’t as genderless as the other residents of Hell were…

It was with this thought that Judy’s brain kick started back into gear, and she remembered just **_who_** she was staring at.

“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to; I mean I wasn’t-!” Any further words were lost when the red furred... male... thing?... being?... snorted and shook his head.

Judy shut up instantly, and gulped.

Still shaking his head, the fox began to circle the rabbit, who quickly scrambled to her knees and tried to keep an eye on the other’s movement.

“I must admit, I’m shocked. I wasn’t expecting the Big Mammal Up-Top to screw up so badly. How did someone like you end up down here, I wonder?” There was something in the fox’s tone that suggested he wasn’t actually interested in the answer to the question, and only Judy’s Criminal Justice classes at University allowed her to pick up on it.

Even so, she wisely kept her mouth shut, keeping an eye on the still circling predator.

Suddenly, the fox stopped and tilted his head, looking her over. “What to do with you, though? You’re stuck down here now. You don’t belong, but you can’t leave.”

The words tumbled out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them, “What do you mean, I don’t belong?”

The fox’s yellow eyes widened before a smirk spread across his blackened lips. “So, you can speak after all, huh Carrots?”

Judy bit her tongue at the nickname, grimacing lightly. The fox’s smirk only grew wider.

“There’s some fire in you yet, huh fluff? That’s good. Hate to see it go out too quickly. After all, you’ll be here a long, long time.”

Walking towards her with a purposeful stride, the fox gripped her arm and pulled Judy to her feet, ignoring her gasp. With a quick glance over--barely a flick of his yellow orbs-- the fox began to drag her off in a seemingly random direction.

“Come on, Carrots. Hell’s waiting.”

Despite the heat, Judy felt a cold weight drop into her chest.

 

* * *

 

 

They went down. Down seemingly endless stairs of black stone, the fox’s grip almost painfully tight on her wrist. Down past pools of fire, and demonic horrors that Judy kept her gaze from straying to. Instead she focused on the red-furred figure, for lack of a better term that was her, guide.

_Where is he taking me?_ She didn’t want to know whatever horrible fate awaited her down here, whatever punishment she was to be dealt for sins unknown.

The scenery changed the further they descended. From lakes of fire to an ocean of burning hot sand, and then to a foul smelling swamp which reeked of rotting flesh and putrid, moldy produce. Judy had to fight down the urge to vomit in disgust when the scents hit her.

“What’s wrong, Carrots? Can’t handle the stink?” the fox teased, still pulling her along the path.

_Oh, no. It’s all roses and tulips over here!_ Judy glared, but said nothing. She wasn’t going to anger her only guide in this place, no matter who he may or may not be.

"There's that fire again! You've got some spirit, bunny, I'll give you that. Most mammals would have broken down by now..."

Here the fox paused and gave her a look she couldn’t decipher. "...but Judith Hopps isn’t most mammals, is she?”

Judy stopped and stared at the red-furred being in shock. “H-how did you know my-”

“Your name? Simple, Carrots: I know everyone’s name.”

A smug smirk spread across his muzzle before his paw tugged on her wrist, “Come on, rabbit. Just a bit further.”

Shaken, Judy could only stumble at the tug, but quickly righted herself and sped up to match the larger mammal’s strides. “W-where are we going?”

“You’ll see, fluff.”

Swallowing, Judy glanced around quickly, trying not to focus too intently on the agony around her. “A-am I…Am I going to end up like them?”

“You, Carrots? No. No, you won’t. I’ve got a special spot picked out just for you.”

The cold weight in her chest spread to her stomach, and Judy couldn’t help but shiver.

 

* * *

 

 

It felt like hours before the fox finally stepped off the staircase, dragging a silent Judy with him. The first thing she noted was the absence of screams, a sound she had almost tuned out during their long descent. She heard nothing but grunts and curses, as well as some shouts of misery, and sobbing. But no screams of torment, no begging for mercy. For a bliss-filled moment, she’d thought that she might have left Hell.

The red paw tugging impatiently on her wrist quickly corrected that belief.

“What’s wrong, Carrots? Don’t like the atmosphere? I could send you back up…”

“NO!” Judy screamed, then paled. “I-I mean, no, thank you. Please.”

The fox's smug grin-- Judy wondered if the fox was even capable of putting on any other expression-- widened. “That’s what I thought.”

“W-where are we? I-if I can ask?” Judy shifted her eyes to her feet, and jolted at the realization that it was gold.

All of it. The floor, as far as she could see, was made of solid gold.

“A nice, quiet little corner of Hell that I’ve taken for myself.” The fox tugged harder, forcing her to stumble forwards. “Now come on, Carrots, your punishment awaits.”

As they walked across the golden surface towards the unknown, Judy took note of the various punishments being dealt out to the Damned.

She saw mammals, large and small, forced to push massive boulders that looked to be made of gold and silver up the sides of mountains. As soon as one made progress, the boulder would slip away and tumble into the others around it, creating a domino effect that left the other mammals screaming in rage and despair.

Others labored in mines, digging up raw metals and gems, wearing nothing but rags and tattered clothes. Looking closer, she noted that the rags and tatters appeared to have once been fine garments worn by the noble and wealthy alike. Every time they unearthed some treasure it was stripped away from them by demons, who then forced them to continue chipping away at the earth.

Now, Judy had been to church, and she’d read the Bible (at her parent’s insistence), and while she wasn’t a master of theology, she knew enough to get by…

_Greed! This place is a punishment for Greed!_ Judy frowned and bit her lip. _But I don’t think I ever did anything greedy enough for this!_

She’d never taken anything that wasn’t hers, she’d never hoarded wealth for just herself. She shared most-- if not all-- of her possessions with her siblings. Sweet cheese and crackers, she’d died for someone else! That’s the exact opposite of being greedy!

_Why am I here, then? What reason could there be for it? I…I have to ask. I need to know. I don’t care what he does to- ok, that’s a lie. I do care. But I need to know._ Gathering her courage, the rabbit cleared her throat and caught the attention of her guide.

“E-excuse me, Mr. Fox? I think there’s been a mistake. W-why am I here?” She waited to see how he would react to her question.

Who knows what she could and couldn’t do, it’s _The Devil_ for God’s sake!

“Hmm? Oh, Carrots! Thought you’d gone mute on me for a moment there!” The fox’s grin didn’t waver in the slightest. “Who knows why you’re here? A cosmic fuck up on the Big Mammals’ part? A sin that you’ve forgotten? Maybe the universe just hates you?”

The fox leaned in and tapped her lightly on the nose, causing Judy to lurch backwards and glare. “All that matters, fluff, is that you’re here now. Best accept that.”

“That’s not fair! I’ve done nothing wrong!”

The fox shrugged, his yellow eyes gleaming with an amused light. “If that were true, why would you be here? Now come along, Carrots. We’ve got to get you settled in. You’ve a long, long stay ahead of you.”

With that said, Judy felt herself dragged by the wrist towards a towering structure in the distance, the grunts and curses of the laborers behind her fading as they moved further and further away.

_Wait…so what is my punishment, then?_ Her confusion only deepened.

_What is going on here?_

* * *

 

“Ah, home sweet home!” The cry of the fox startled Judy, who hadn’t expected them to speak to one another again after their last conversation.

_Home_? She turned her gaze upwards, and her eyes widened at the sight of two massive metal doors, set in an equally large frame.

“Now, where is that little bastard? He was supposed to be waiting here for me to get back. Better not have wandered off…” The fox glanced around, searching for the source of his irritation.

“It’s about damn time you came back! You’ve been gone all fuckin’ DAY, Nick!” A deep voice rumbled from behind Judy, causing her to shout and leap away in fright.

To her surprise that voice came from a tiny, sand colored fox that barely came up to her neck. His narrowed red eyes glared holes into the larger red fox beside her.

“Ah, Fini! Just the fox I was looking for!” The fox, _Nick_ , pushed Judy forwards, “Here’s our new resident! Get her settled in, would you?”

The tiny fox stared at Judy in shock before snapping his gaze back to his larger counterpart. “A fucking BUNNY? You went all the way to The Gates to get a fucking **_BUNNY_**?!”

The grin on Nick’s face never wavered. “You got it in one, pal! So, how about you hop to it, hmmm?”

With that the red fox sauntered off, whistling a merry tune and leaving the two smaller mammals to gape at his back.

Growling deeply in frustration, the tiny fox turned and began to walk off. “Come on, Bunny. Let’s get this over with.”

“W-what? OH!” shaking her head, Judy rushed after the smaller mammal, “Excuse me, um, Fini, was it?”

“Its FINNICK!” the little fox snarled.

“R-right, sorry Finnick!” Swallowing, she pushed forward with her question. “W-what exactly is my punishment?”

“You mean he didn’t tell you?” He paused and shook his head. “Fucking Nick, of course he didn’t. You’re the new maid, bunny-rabbit. Hope you like skirts.”

“MAID?!” she screamed. “What kind of punishment is being a **_MAID_** for all eternity?!”

Finnick paused in his walking and turned to stare at her. “You wanna mine for gold or push boulders for the rest of time?”

“…Maid’s fine.”

“That’s what I thought.”

As they walked to get her whatever degrading outfit she would be forced to wear, a single thought crossed her mind that ended up throwing her whole world upside down.

_Wait… **Nick**? I thought The Devil was named **Lucifer**?_


	3. Questioning a Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy attempts to get some answers.

The last few days (or what she assumed were days in Hell) had been degrading for Judy Hopps. Sure, she could have been tossed into a pit of fire, flayed alive endlessly, or had been tormented by demons for the rest of time, but lately she’d been considering that maybe that would be a better fate.

_At least it wouldn’t be so mind-numbingly boring, and utterly humiliating…_ The rabbit clutched her broom handle and glowered.

Forced into a maid outfit that looked straight out of a bad porno, complete with a mini-skirt, leggings and heels, she was thrust into her new role without any explanation. The little fox, Finnick, hadn’t given her any real instructions or training after their little conversation: just gave her the outfit, took her down a dizzying amount of turns and stairs, and told her to clean.

From the little bit she’d gathered from her surroundings, based on clothing and shed fur, she was cleaning the “personal wing” of her new “boss’s” massive castle. The wing was composed of dozens of rooms, each of which seemed to vary in size. One of which was obviously _his_ bedroom. It was the only one that had a bed.

And what an irredeemably extravagant bed it was. Blood red curtains made of silk, the frame a form of black marble, and engraved into every inch of it masterful designs of historic and biblical scenes. The irony of that wasn’t lost on her.

She swore there was rubies embedded throughout, too. But she hadn’t gotten close enough to look.

_Greed certainly suites him…Though, I wish he was a little more courteous to his maids. The bastard._ Judy angrily swept the floors.

 After the first day of her “punishment,” she had come to one solid conclusion.

The Lord of Hell, “ _Nick_ ,” was a damn slob.

Clothes could be found everywhere, left on the ground or draped over the back of a random chair in the middle of a room without a care. The Damned Fox (Ha!) never bothered to clean up after himself. She’d found piles of sand, and tracks of something she _guessed_ was as close to dirt or mud as one got in Hell, nearly everywhere. Combine that with the shed fur, large clumps of which gathered in corners or along the walls and seemed to never stop piling up, and you had a nightmare for any rookie maid.

_How can one fox create such a large mess?!_ She seethed as she cleaned up yet another trail of dirt and sand.

She was almost positive he was doing it on purpose, just to see her tail twitch in anger.

_Not that I’ve got any evidence of it. I haven’t seen him since that first day…_ Something that worried her somewhat.

The red fox had been dancing around her for her entire stay in the castle. He lingered just outside of her field of vision, or watched her from the shadows, flashes of red in the corners of her eyes, or yellow, gleaming, orbs peering at her from down darkened hallways. Eerie, frightening. It made her fur stand up and caused shivers to run down her body.

It boggled her mind why the fox seemed to be avoiding her, but also stalking her. The whole experience was terrifying, but also incredibly confusing.

_Especially his name,_ she wrinkled her nose as she swept up yet another pile of red fur, _it doesn’t make sense._

She could have sworn that The Devil was, at least in the biblical sense, named Lucifer, not Nick or whatever the red fox went by. The little fox, Finnick, probably wasn’t the most reliable source for information.

But the red fox had responded to the name which meant that either it _was_ his name, or that she was being tricked. Either possibility created a whole new can of worms for her to dig through.

If it wasn’t The Devil, then who was it? And if it was a trick, what’s the punchline? What’s really going on?

It was all one giant mystery. One big case.

_Well, I don’t mind solving mysteries_ , Judy leaned on the broom and furrowed her brow. _Just need to find out where to start looking for clues._

Glancing about her, she paused at the sight of some sand littering the floor. The tan colored mineral dragged forth an image of a short, and angry, little fox, one that seemed all too eager to vent the last time she’d seen him, but a certain bunny had been too confused, too scared, to ask anything.

She smirked.

_Let’s go say hello to Finni._

* * *

 

 

Finding the shorter fox wasn’t difficult, but leaving her “punishment” had shot her nerves to, well, Hell. She wasn’t certain what would happen to her when she did find him, or if Nick discovered her out and about, but she wasn’t a coward. She was Judy Hopps, a bunny that should have been a police officer. She could handle herself just fine, and she wasn’t about to back down.

At least, that’s what she told herself as she snuck around a monstrously large castle, owned by a being that may or may not be Satan himself, in the depths of Hell. She flinched at every flash of red in the corner of her vision.

_What if he’s watching me right now? Seeing me just walk away from my “punishment?” What would he do?_ The rational voice in her head was screaming at her to go back, pick up her broom, and get sweeping.

Her gut told her to keep going. To find the truth.

Judy had always been a firm believer in following her gut.

Mustering her courage, forcing herself to keep searching, she found the smaller fox lounging in a lawn chair overlooking the mammals pushing boulders of gold up hills. He, like his larger red counterpart, was wearing clothes, something she thought may have held some significance, based on what she’d seen thus far of Hell’s residents. It wasn’t anything impressive; just a simple black dress-shirt and slacks.

He was also wearing sunglasses, despite it not being particularly bright out.

_Where did he get those?!_ The sight of the reflective lenses threw her for a temporary loop, causing her to pause a few yards away from the tiny mammal.

“Don’tcha have some floors to be sweeping, bunny?” The deep, booming, voice broke her from her shock.

“I, er, well…” She sucked in breath. “I wanted to ask you some questions.”

Sitting up, the smaller mammal, if he could be counted as one, turned towards her and pushed his shades up to his brow. “What kinda questions?”

“Questions about this place. And why I’m here. Why I’m being punished like I am,” Judy swallowed tightly, “and who _Nick_ really is.”

The little fox stared at her, his red eyes boring a hole right through her. For a moment, Judy felt like everything she was, was on display for the fennec’s eyes.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the moment ended and the tan fox smirked. “Alright, bunny. Take a seat, ask your questions.”

With a casual wave of a paw beside him, a second lawn chair rose from the sand, startling her. Eyeing it cautiously, she sat down and cleared her throat. “So let’s start with the big one. Me being here…What do you know?”

“Shit, right with the tough one. I don’t know anything, bunny. You’ll have to ask a certain _someone_ that question.” She inwardly winced at the sight of his fangs, bared in a tiny grin.

_If I could find him, and muster up the nerve to do it, I’d ask him._ She scowled slightly before sighing and rubbing her forehead.

“Great. Alright, second question then. Why am I punished differently than everyone else?”

“You mean why are you cleanin’ up Slick-Nick’s messes and makin’ his bed every morning?” The fennec roared with laughter when her ears fell back.

“Yeah. That.” She narrowed her eyes slightly at his still chuckling form.

Taking a deep-breath to regain some air (something she wasn’t even sure he needed) Finnick shrugged. “That’s Nick’s orders, bunny. Told me that he was gonna go get a maid, and left for The Gate. Then he showed up with you.”

“W-wait, he went up for me personally?! Did he know I was going to die in advance?! Did he plan it?!” Judy was on her feet and glaring down at the smaller mammal, whose eyes widened in shock at her sudden attitude change.

“Calm down, bunny! It ain’t like that, damnit!” Waiting for the rabbit to sit down, her amethyst eyes still glaring a hole into him, the fox continued. “Nick ain’t like you n’ me. He can get to The Gate and back in an eye blink.”

Judy paused and stared at the tan fox. “Then why did we take such a long time getting here?”

Here Finnick smirked and shrugged. “He wanted to see ya squirm.”

_That fucking bastard! I could have avoided all of that!_ Judy narrowed her eyes and promised revenge on the red fox in the future, The Devil or not.

“So, what? He saw me die, and decided, ‘Hey, I need someone to clean my fur off the ground, let’s get a rabbit!’?” The small fox snickered at her (rather poor) impression of Nick.

Hey, she’d only had a few hours of interaction with the fox. Most of which was spent huddled in terror.

“Pretty much, at least that’s all I know.” Here Judy could tell the tan fox was hiding something, but she wasn’t going to risk pushing it.

She could come back to it later. It wasn’t like she was going anywhere.

“Alright, that’s another I’ll have to ask _him_ , then.” She enjoyed the jolt Finnick tried, and failed, to hide. “Speaking of _him_ …I’ve been wondering for a little bit now. I-is he _The_ Devil?”

A snort from beside her made her pout. “What? It’s a legitimate question, ok?!”

“N-Nick? _The_ Devil?! Yeah, right! As if that lazy bastard could be the Ruler of Hell!” The fennec clutched his stomach and cackled, gasping for air.

Judy still didn’t know if he really needed it, or if it was just something that he subconsciously did. She didn’t really need to breath herself, being already dead.

Not that she tried to not breath. She really didn’t.

Sighing, she rubbed her face with her paws. “Can you just answer me, please?”

“S-sure, just g-give me a moment!” Finnick cleared his throat and held back some snickers. “No, Nick ain’t _The_ Devil, as you’ve probably guessed. He’s just the idiot in charge of this little section of _Paradise_.”

The sarcasm on the last word was so thick Judy swore she could taste it.

It tasted pretty bitter.

“You don’t seem like you’re a fan of this place, considering you’re a, you know…” She internally winced at how personal the question was.

_Too late to take it back now, Judy. Got to own up to your mistakes..._ She only hoped the little fox didn’t attack her.

“…You’re a nosey one, ain’t ya, bunny?” Finnick sighed and gave a half-smirk. “I just have some not-so-fond memories of this place. Ain’t none of your business, so don’t ask.”

She nodded quickly, and cleared her throat. “So, uh, back to my question. If Nick isn’t _The_ Devil, what is he?”

The small fox stared at her for a long moment, before giving her answer that shocked her to the core.

“He may not be _The_ Devil, but he’s _a_ Devil. All the Fallen Angels that followed Lucifer are.”

Judy’s jaw hit the floor.

“The **_What_**?!”


	4. An Unlikely Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy makes an...interesting friend.

“Wait, hold on. **_Fallen Angels?_** You’re serious? _Him?_ ” Judy stared at the smaller fox in astonishment, her brain catching struggling to catch up.

_You’d think with the last few…days? I’d be used to all this by now..._ The rabbit shook her head and bite her lip.

“Yeah, ol’ Nick is a Fallen. One of the First, too. Was preeetty high up in the command chain.” Here, the fennec shrugged and played with his shades. “I don’t know what happened, so don’ ask. All I _do_ know is after The Big Mammal put the smack down, Nick got saddled with this place.”

Judy blinked, and rubbed her forehead, feeling a slight ache develop. Idly, she wondered if the dead could get headaches. “So, what? This is like, his punishment?”

Judy didn’t see how ruling an entire level of Hell, dishing out torture could be considered punishment. More like a reward. Devils like that kind of thing, don’t they?

_I don’t even know anymore. I’m still wrapped around this whole Fallen thing._ She was pretty certain they were venturing out of the small amount of religious knowledge she’d retained.

“Nah, more like his job. Ain’ you ever read The Bible, girl? Only a few of the Original’s got the smack down:  Daddy Devil in the deepest part o’ the pits, alongside a few choice others.” Finnick stretched on his lawn chair, and gestured to the struggling mammals around him.

“This? This is just another part of his duties. The Big Mammal saw the need for Overseers in this little corner of the universe. Sinners n’ shit. And, lookie there, he had a handful of choice candidates that didn’t wanna be smote.”

Putting his shades back on, the smaller being gestured her away. “I’m done talkin to ya, if you want more, you know who to ask.”

Judy, whose mouth had been opened to ask questions the whole time but had been cut off again and again, just closed it and huffed. Turning around, she walked back towards the castle, ears flat against her back in annoyance. However, after a few pauses, she stopped and looked back.

“…Thanks. For pointing me in the right direction, I guess.” Turning around again, she began to walk, not seeing the fennec look back at her in slight confusion, and chuckle.

The small fox shook his head and settled back into his chair to watch the struggling mammal’s, pulling a pack of cigarettes out from his dress shirt pocket which hadn’t held any moments before.

“…Dumb bunny. You’re gonna change things around here…” Lighting a cigarette, the fennec took a small drag and grinned. “I like you already.”

 

* * *

 

 

Judy mulled over the fennec’s words as she approached the portion of the palace that was assigned to her, thinking of the different facts that she’d been given. The puzzle that began with her arrival in Hell, having obtained a few pieces --maybe important, maybe not—was starting to come together. Into what, she didn’t know…  but it was _something._ She didn’t know what her purpose was here, or how she arrived here instead of Paradise, but the secret was with Nick.

That much she was almost certain.

What she _did_ know was that she’s in the portion of Hell reserved for the sin of Greed, and that particularly greedy individuals ended up here. The lord of it was named Nick (maybe short for Nicolas?), and was a fox (at least in appearance). He was a Devil-- a Fallen Angel, too. There were others like him, all assigned to different parts and sins.

_So, guess that means he’s greedy. If they got assigned their circles to manage…Best choice, maybe?_ Judy didn’t know if she was overthinking it, or maybe just trying to create links, but it seemed a pretty solid assumption.

Managers getting assigned to the best part of an “organization” that suites them.

Hey, she also confirmed the existence of God. So, that’s something.

_Would have liked to have done that a different way…_ she shook her head as she walked down the hall, not paying any particular attention to her surroundings, nor the red-shaped figure that was only a few feet from her.

So, when a clawed paw reached out in front of her, she did the first thing that came to mind.

She kicked. Hard.

Her foot crashed into the fox’s stomach with surprising force, driving the other back, caught off guard. He fell, landing on his rear, and rubbed his waist. A slight growl echoing from his throat.

“O-oh, oh God I’m sorry! I’m s-so sorry!” the rabbit began to stammer, imagining the punishment that awaited her.

The fox only grunted and slowly rose to his feet, eyes closed in a grimace. Taking several breaths to calm himself, he looked down at her with annoyed yellow orbs. “Think that’s a polite way to greet the owner of your soul, Carrots?”

Judy felt her ears go red, either from embarrassment, annoyance at the nickname. She swallowed and stammered more apologies, eyes closing, expecting the worst. “I’m sorry! I was distracted and didn’t see, and I was training to be a cop, and-“

She felt a finger press against her lips, and opened her eyes to see the fox looking down at her with his usual calm amusement. “You done?”

She could only nod her head in the affirmative. “A-am I gonna…be punished?”

Her words made the fox pause, and he looked down at her with his head tilted. He stared at her for several long, agonizing moments, before shrugging. “I’m in a forgiving mood. Do it again, and that’ll change.”

The devil leaned down and looked right into her violet eyes. “Will it happen again?”

“N-no, no of course not!” Shaking her head, the rabbit swallowed.

“Then we have no problems, Fluff.” Straightening himself, the fox began to walk away, only to pause and look back at her. “Next time you go asking Finnick about things that don’t concern you? Be less obvious about it. You won’t like it if I catch you in the act.”

Judy felt her blood run cold, and she turned to stare at the fox, only to find him gone. There was no evidence that he’d even been there to begin with. Shaking, she fell to her knees and dry heaved, mind caught on how close she came to a fate uncertain now apparent.

And yet…

_Next time? He technically didn’t say not to…_ The rabbit stood and grinned, her heart racing with excitement. “Only to not get caught…”

She may be in a bad situation--a hopeless situation--and the consequences of messing up were higher than anything she’d faced before. But, dead or not, in Hell or not, there’s one thing about Judy that would never change.

“I don’t know when to quit…” She shook her head, walking down the hallway towards her assigned area, keeping an attentive ear on her surroundings this time. “I bet Gideon would have a field day, seeing me like this…”

The sad part?

She’d take seeing that jerk’s face right now. Or any familiar face.

_God, this place is lonely._ The rabbit grimaced, looking around.

She’d seen no one in this palace outside from Finnick and her “employer.” No other servants, devils, or whatever Finnick was. She couldn’t really talk to the condemned souls outside, and she doubted they’d be in a chatty mood in the first place.

_Look at you, Judy. You’re in Hell, and you’re complaining about a lack of company. Get a grip, girl!_ Sighing she picked up the broom she’d discarded before, and began to sweep the seemingly endless piles of sand and fur.

_Still. Would be nice to have someone to talk to--_ Her ears perked when she heard the sound of hoofs on stone, heading in her direction.

_Well, I’ll be darned. Can I get a carrot cake too, if I think on it hard enough?_ She didn’t have to eat, she’d learned, but she could really go for some comfort-food. Shaking her head, fuming at her distraction, she listened again for the sound of hoofs.

They were small; nothing like the cloven-hoofed beasts that had wanted to tear her apart endlessly which had lurked up near The Gate, as she’d heard it called. The monstrous bison demons. No, these hoof-steps were delicate, but confident, certain. They were heading right for the rabbit, and they knew exactly what they were doing.

_Thank God for all those classes in college…_ Knowing a mammal’s intent based on a number of factors was a skill she was so thankful to have in this moment. _This one doesn’t seem hostile…But I’ll keep my guard up, for whatever it’s worth._

Continuing her sweeping and keeping an ear perked, she waited. The hoof-steps drew closer, then paused, right out of her line of sight. She saw a small shadow, only a little taller than her, and tilted her head.

From what she could tell (and she was making assumptions) it was a wool covered mammal of some sorts, or at least, one with fluffier fur than what she’d see on anything that wasn’t wool. She could think of a few mammals that fell into that category, but with hoofs? And at this size?

She was betting on a sheep: she’d grown up with a few in Bunnyburrow, and knew that they came in all sorts of sizes, like rabbits. This one appeared to be a little smaller than average.

_But what do they want?_ Judy liked to think she was accommodating to guests, but recent events like, say, _dying,_ had changed a few things.

The less mammals that wanted anything to do with her right now, the better. Lonely or no, this was Hell, and only the worst types ended up here.

_Well…I guess that’s not exactly true…_ She was here, after all…

_Oh, Cheese and Crackers._ She cleared her throat, and called out, “H-hello?”

The shadow twitched, then finally began to move from its position. The figure turned the corner, and entered her line of sight.

_Am I great, or am I great?_ The rabbit inwardly preened at being right in her call of the shadow’s species, and gave her best smile despite the circumstances. “Hi, um, can I help you?”

The diminutive sheep gulped. She (it was definitely a girl-- from what Judy could tell) was wearing a red dress with a white belt, and had thin framed glasses perched on her nose. Around her neck was a thin strip of gold- with an emerald pendant. Her eyes were as red as her dress. Judy absently recalled that Finnick had also worn rather nice clothes, and had the same color of eyes.

_So, Nick has yellow, he’s a Devil. Finnick and this sheep have red. What does red mean?_ She recalled that the bison demon near The Gate had eyes that were pitch black without pupils.

Filing it away to maybe ask Finnick later, she turned her attention back to her visitor.

“Well, I’d heard in the rumor mill that Nicolas had gone up to The Gate to get a new arrival and made her a maid. I was a little curious, so I had to come see for myself.” The sheep smiled, and held out her hoof. “My name’s Dawn. Pleasure to meet you, Judy.”

Judy stared at the offered hoof, and then reached out to take it slowly. “Does everyone know my name?”

Dawn smiled, giving her paw a little squeeze. “Only the ones that matter.”

Letting go of the other’s hoof, Judy relaxed leaned on her broom. “So…A-anything else I can do for you?”

The sheep shrugged, and looked at a nearby painting of a certain red fox. Judy saw her expression linger on it for a while, swearing she saw a flash of anger, before the sheep turned back to look at her.

“Well, I’m just here to introduce myself, and to tell you that you can come to me if you have any questions or want someone to talk to!” The sheep shrugged and frowned. “It’s pretty lonely down here, at first. Isn’t it?”

Judy blinked, the other girl’s words putting her at easy for a moment, before her mind recalled the exact topic she’d been considering before the sheep’s arrival. “How do you know what I’m feeling?”

Dawn was thrown from the question, Judy could tell. The sheep looked lost and confused for a moment, before sighing. “Alright, fine. I’m no good at this demon rubbish anyway. Look, I’m here to warn you. And to help you.”

Judy leaned back slightly, moving into a better position to run if need be. Her instincts told her to leave, to find someone to help, but she didn’t get this far by relying on her instincts alone.

And part of her was… _intrigued_ by what the other was saying.

“Alright, I’m interested. But make it quick.” Judy tried to be as commanding as possible in the situation, knowing full well she was at a disadvantage.

The attitude made the sheep grin, and she adjusted her glasses. “Oh, I see why Nicolas was interested in you…Fine, I’ll be brief. People change here, Judy. You might not notice it at first, but you’ll become less like _you_ and more like _us._ ”

Here the sheep gestured to the painting of the red fox with a sharp motion. “Nicolas dragged me down here, too. Ages ago. I was a mortal, like you. Normal, everyday, mammal. But, as time passed, this place mutated me. I became like _him._ And you will, too. Unless…you get out.”

Judy gulped, feeling a flash of fear at the thought of changing in such a radical way. She licked her lips and took a deep breath. “So. You, and Finnick too I’m assuming, you aren’t like the other demons here? The ones near the gate?”

Dawn shook her head and gave her an appraising look. “Connecting the dots, hm? No. Those demons are part of Hell. _Finnick_ and I are poor mammals like you, brought here and changed by the land around us.”

She spat the fennec’s name like it was poison, and Judy was tempted to ask why, but held off. “Why do you want to help me? What do you get out of it? Demons always have an angle, right?”

The sheep grinned, and applauded slightly. “Smart girl. Yeah, I get something out of it. You see, I _hate_ Nicolas for what he did to me. For making me _this._ ” The sheep gestured to herself with disgust.

Dawn walked forward and smiled at Judy. It was a wicked one, and Judy felt her heartbeat increase slightly. “So. He brought you here. He’s got plans for you. But, if I were to…help you escape? That’d ruin those plans. And that’s more than enough reason for me.”

Judy paused, nose twitching, before leaning it more interested, but still cautious. “You can help me escape?”

The sheep shrugged, and sighed. “I’m not sure-one hundred percent-that it’s possible, I’ll admit. But Hell’s old, and there are myths and legends of people escaping it before, isn’t there? Every myth has truth…”

Judy stared at the other girl long and hard, her mind whirling.

On one paw, if she’s right, the rabbit would become a demon in enough time--changed down to a fundamental level, completely losing whatever purity and morality she had. At least, according to The Bible. It was a thought that terrified her. She wasn’t sure she could handle that kind of existence. Escaping was definitely a tempting offer, even if the chances were slim. Maybe she’d get to Paradise, where she belonged?

On the other, if she’s caught by Nick she knew certain she’d be in deep, deep trouble. Working in the fields, mining wealth or pushing boulders for eternity might not even be the worst punishment Nick could come up with for her. She knew she had a cushy punishment in Hell, degrading maid outfit or not. Could she really risk it?

Was it worth the consequences?

The rabbit’s eyes lingered on the sheep. Taking in the red eyes, burning with malice as she looked towards the picture of the fox. The glee in which she spoke of “getting even” and hurting the other. The plans, the backstabbing.

_Could I really deal with **that** for all of eternity?_ It was an obvious choice.

“…Alright. You’ve got a deal.” Judy reached out and shook the other mammal’s hoof, her heart racing. “But you’ve got to be honest with me: is there really a chance to escape?”

The sheep shook the other girl’s paw, and grinned. “Oh, Judy. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t miss the chance to ruin Nicolas’ plans for the world. We’ll get you out.”

Judy returned the Dawn’s grin, her heart feeling hopeful.

Deep down, however?

She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d just made a deal with The Devil, and this one wasn’t red.


End file.
